Baby only 3 pounds 3 at 31+4 pre eclampsia talk of 34 week induction?!

[Emmaemmaemmaemma]

Hi ladies,

Iv suffered from Pre eclampsia since very early in my pregnancy. My growth scan has shown baby has fallen to 10th centitle (she’s on the lowest line on my chart I think that’s 10th??) and Is currently 3 pounds 3. They have booked me in for a scan two weeks later, if she’s still not grown much they want to bring her at 34 and I’m so so scared and upset. I just want her to be okay ❤️ Please reassure me if you can?

Thank you x x

My daughter was born nearly 9 years ago at 28 weeks and weighed 2lb 1oz. I also had pre-eclampsia that started at 24 weeks and by 28 weeks they couldn’t control it any longer and had to deliver her for the safety of us both. It is a very scary time and I remember feeling exactly as you describe but 9 years later my daughter is absolutely fine and has suffered no ill effects from her early start in life.
Be brave and trust the doctors, they really do know best and won’t deliver early unless it is absolutely the best thing for you both.
Wishing you both lots of luck.

I was 3lb 2oz when I was born 38 years ago - similar situation to what you're facing now. I was in an incubator for a bit, but otherwise healthy. Medicine has moved on a lot too in the intervening time. I expect your dd is going to be ok

My DS was born at 31 weeks because of sudden onset pre eclampsia. He was 3lb 6oz. 7 years on and you wouldn’t know. But it was a hard experience for me and DH because it was very sudden and scary. Good luck OP. Oh and btw growth scans are not always accurate, DS was predicted to be more like 2lb 6oz when measured the day before he was delivered. So your baby could well be bigger than expected.

DS was born at 32 weeks because of PE,he was 3lbs 9. Skinny but perfect . By 32 weeks everything has developed and the last 8 weeks is just laying down fat. He was only in SCBU for 3 weeks and the minute he hit 4lbs he was allowed home . He is now 6ft 4 and strong as an ox

Hi all,

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me ❤️ It means a lot. I’m just having a bad evening feeling down and all your posts have seriously cheered me up. I suppose I knew growth problems were a pre eclampsia side effect but because she’s been okay I thought she’d continue growing fine. But like you have all said you’ve been through this experience and baby was fine or you were fine if born small. I wish there was something I could do to help her grow! I just want her snuggled in my arms healthy, but I know they won’t bring her early with no good reason - sounds like if she’s still small they know she’s better out than in. It will be the longest week and a half of my life til this scan but il keep trying to stay positive and honestly your stories do help

DGD was born by emcs at 32 weeks. She was 3lbs 2. She had 3 weeks in the ‘feeding and growing’ room of NICU and needed no other support other that a feeding tube for a week or so till she got the hang of sucking. She was tiny but fine.

My DD was born also by EMCS at 36 weeks as I had pre-eclampsia and was getting double vision and feeling very unwell. Her growth was ok and it was more to prevent problems for both her and me that I had the c section as I had very high bp and protein in urine.

At 32-34 weeks they’re pretty much ‘cooked’ and if you are induced will be given steroids to protect her lungs and She will be given iron for brain health (well DGD was for the first year). It is a scary time when you don’t know if you are going to need an induction but as you say they’ll only do it if they feel it is the best and safest thing to do for you both.

Also my friends DGS was predicted to be 3lbs ish on scans and they were saying he wasn’t growing much around 36 weeks. Talk of induction but in the end it was a normal delivery and he came out at 8lbs 4 so the scan was way off the mark and had caused unnecessary anxiety for the poor parents.

Sorry I forgot to say she was in an incubator for the first week as couldn’t regulate her temp but was then moved into a regular basinette thingy and was just wrapped up in heaps of blankets and a hat for 2 more weeks.

‘Things to expect’ is a good shout tricicorn

DS was in an incubator for a couple of weeks. He had a blue lamp on him sometimes for jaundice. He had a breathing mask on intermittently for the first few days. Lots of wires and monitors. You will get used to the beeps and bongs of all the different monitors from your baby and all the other babies too. You will learn lots of new lingo (NICU, CPAP, SCBU, NEC etc) and be in awe of how calm NICU nurses are. I breast fed DS eventually so it is possible if that’s what you want to do, just be prepared to make friends with an electric breast pump for a while first. There’s a lot to take in and it can be very overwhelming so remember to be kind to yourself.

Thank you for the new replies really appreciate it went for a check up today and BP is slowly raising so they mentioned 34 weeks again. We will see what happens with the scan I do hope she has some magical growth spurt.
I am a bit upset as found my local NICU doesn’t have a ward so I would be separated from my beautiful baby. I know I could visit as much as I wanted but staying on a ward with ladies who have babies when mine is poorly seems daunting. Also what would happen if I recovered but she had to be in for weeks? I couldn’t leave her. Just worries me a little!

Well worries me a lot actually

My son was in nicu for a week when he was born like you our nicu doesn't have beds for parents. I was given a private room so I didn't have to be on a ward with mums and babies and tbh I didn't every waking hour I could with him only leaving for food when made by either my own mum or the nicu nurses..
I hid from the ward sister for as long as possible but was discharged on day 3.. I will be honest I cried my eyes out that first night home but the nicu nurses were lovely and told me I could call at any time... I remember calling at 2am as I pumped at home and regularly called at 6am when I got up... I was usually at hospital at 9 every morning for a few hours then would go home for lunch and come back again for a few more hours in the evening. It's hard to leave them but the nicu nurses are amazing and you know that she will be getting the best care possible until she is ready to be with you.. My son was tube fed for that first week as he was being treated for infection and couldn't leave the incubator but he took to breastfeeding when he got out of the incubator and was almost exclusively breastfed until 12 months.. He did have formula occasionally and that week in nicu as my milk wasn't in but if you want to breastfeed nicu doesn't mean you cant...
Fingers crossed she won't need much nicu support though 🙂 and you can have her by your side!
Ds was induced for not growing and reduced movements and he thrived once he was out after the first 48 hours.